


Baby Steps

by ReiyaneoftheSand



Category: Yu-Gi-Oh!
Genre: F/M, Yu-Gi-Oh! - Freeform, YugixOC - Freeform
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-10-27
Updated: 2016-10-27
Packaged: 2018-08-27 07:54:57
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,946
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8393419
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ReiyaneoftheSand/pseuds/ReiyaneoftheSand
Summary: Rin is the invisible girl in class and she has decided that she would finally speak to the one and only Yugi Muto... or not! Abort mission! Follow her as she struggles to gather the courage to speak to him, and follow him as he helps her begin coming out of her shell! (YugixOC)





	

**Author's Note:**

> Author's Note: This is actually my first attempt at a YGO story... I'm really really nervous... and self conscious about it. I really hope I do Yugi justice. Please leave a comment or message and let me know how I did!
> 
> DISCLAIMER NOTE: I DO NOT OWN YU-GI-OH! I OWN MY CHARACTER RIN AND THAT IS PRETTY MUCH IT! I WROTE THIS PURELY FOR ENTERTAINMENT PURPOSES! PLEASE DO NOT SUE ME!

Emerald green orbs peeked at the group from over the top of a book. Rin was pretty sure that if anyone noticed her staring, they would think she was creepy. She wasn't trying to be a creep though. Okay, fine. She had watched and admired the young Yugi Muto from afar for about a year now. She adored him. She was head over heels for him. Did anyone know that? Nope... of course not. Nobody bothered to associate with her. The entire student body had their own little cliques... except her. Her parents didn't really raise her per se, due to them constantly being away on business or vacation. The nanny raised her, kept her in a bubble and sheltered her from the outside world, so she grew up incredibly shy and with a pretty heavy case of social anxiety. This resulted in her not really knowing how to talk to people, so she was alone for most of her days, even after she finally began attending a public high school.

 

Rin shook off her thoughts and right on time to catch Yugi's gaze. Her cheeks blazed uncontrollably and she quickly looked back at her book, pretending to be enthralled by it. Her heart was hammering loudly in her chest, she was sure everyone else would be able to hear it. After several moments of calming herself down, the dismissal bell finally rang. She stayed put, until Yugi and his group of friends left. Sighing heavily, the small girl set her book down and ran a hand through her long dark hair. She had decided weeks ago that she would try and make friends with him and his gang and the whole thing was nerve wrecking.

 

After packing her school bag, she heaves it over her shoulder and makes a beeline for the main exit. She had a bit of a long walk ahead of her. Upon seeing Yugi and his friends walking away, she pauses in her tracks. This was her chance! Maybe she could walk home with them? Maybe she could finally break the ice? Um... no. Instead she decided to creep along behind them, hiding behind poles and trees and fences to avoid being discovered. Eventually she found herself outside the city Game Shop. She had heard that Yugi's Grandpa owned a gaming store and she assumed that this was the place. Rin bites her lip nervously as her fingers subconsciously fumble and tangle with each other. Could she do it? Could she walk in knowing the inevitable risk of encountering Yugi, his friends, or his Grandpa? This was it! She takes a slow, calming breath and slips into the shop without being noticed. A part of her was thrilled to pieces about that, but the other part was disappointed. When would she stop being invisible? She takes refuge behind a game display, seemingly browsing while listening to the group chatter.

 

"Grandpa, I'm home!" called Yugi as he leads the way up to the counter. "And I brought you another student!"

 

"Welcome home, Yugi." Grandpa responded with a kind smile at his grandson, before his gaze drifted to the taller blonde teenager. "A new student huh?"

 

"Yeah! I want you to be my mentor and teach me all you know about Duel Monsters!" Joey said enthusiastically.

 

"Hm..." Grandpa hummed, looking a bit unsure. "I don't know if you have what it takes, Joseph..."

 

"Come on, Gramps!" begged Joey. "I'll work really hard! I swear! Please?!"

 

Grandpa looked at Joey for a long moment, before glancing at his grandson, who simply smiled up at the man he looked up to the most. Sighing, Grandpa nodded.

 

"Very well then, Joseph. I will train you." said Grandpa.

 

Joey cheered, only to be silenced by the elderly man's forceful tone.

 

"That's enough!" Grandpa frowns. "I hope you're really ready for this, because it will be hard work. It certainly isn't for the faint of heart..."

 

The tall blonde gaped and looked a bit uneasy, while Yugi chuckled and scratched his cheek.

 

"Come on, Grandpa. Don't be too hard on him." He grinned.

 

Grandpa paused as he noticed the girl in the corner, much to her dismay.

 

"Hello," He smiled kindly."Can I help you?"

 

All eyes shifted to Rin. She freezes on the spot, squeaking as she's found out.

 

"Hey, Yug. Isn't that the girl from class?" Joey asked, looking down at his best friend. "Yanno... the one whose always alone."

 

"Yeah," Yugi nodded. "It's her." He blinks and frowns, finding it easy to read her. ((She's so shy... so nervous. I wonder why that is...))

 

"Um... I... I..." Rin stammered, trying to remain calm, but failing miserably. ((Abort mission!)) Without thinking, Rin races for the door, accidentally knocking over the display she was hiding behind.

 

"Hey!" Joey called after her. "It's rude to knock things over and not pick them up, yanno?!" He huffs as he realized she didn't hear a word he said. "Geez, what's wrong with her?"

 

"Nothing is WRONG with her," said Yugi as he looked up at his best friend. "She's just...really... REALLY shy."

 

"Yugi, my boy... you can bring the best out in anybody. It is one of your many gifts." Grandpa smiled as he placed a hand atop his grandson's head. "Perhaps you can help her come out of her shell? It's pretty obvious she just wants a friend. Why else would she show up here with very little interest in anything the shop has to offer?"

 

"Okay, Grandpa. I'll try." Yugi replied with a smile.

 

"Hey, Yug. Maybe your Gramps is right." Joey grinned. "He's pretty smart for an old man."

 

"Old man?" Grandpa's eye twitched. "OLD MAN?!"

 

"Joey!" Yugi facepalmed. "Look at what you've done now!"

 

"I-I'm sorry, Gramps!" Joey cringed at the sight of the angry elder, "P-please! Really! I didn't mean it!"

 

A week passes by and Rin had made it a point to avoid Yugi and his group. She may have been SLIGHTLY embarrassed about her behavior at the Game Shop before. At first she had no intention of returning to the shop, but as time went by, she began feeling bad about how she had knocked things over and ran away without so much as an apology. The dismissal bell snaps her out of her thoughts and she sighs heavily. Her conscience wouldn't leave her alone until she went back and apologized like a decent person would. Gathering every ounce of courage she had, she makes the trip back to the Game Shop. She takes a calming breath before entering, immediately drawing the attention of Grandpa, Yugi, and the others.

 

"Hello again," said Grandpa after an awkward moment of silence.

 

"H-hi." Rin responded nervously. "Um.. I-I just wanted to a-apologize f-for knocking over your display last week." She scratches her neck, suddenly finding her shoes very interesting. "If I broke anything, I'll be happy to pay for it."

 

"Well, thank you for coming back and saying that, but nothing was damaged so there's no need to pay for anything." Grandpa smiled kindly down at the girl.

 

"Hey, why don't you stick around, Rin?" Yugi suggested with a smile, much like his Grandpa's."You know... hang out with us."

 

"O-oh... I... I don't know..." Rin's cheeks blazed at the invitation from the boy she secretly swooned over.

 

"Yeah," agreed Joey with a nod. "Hang out for a little while. You never know... you might decide you like us!"

 

"Well..." She looked at Grandpa, then Yugi, then Joey and the others before looking back at Yugi. "O-okay... I have a bit of time, I suppose."

 

At first, the whole 'hanging out' thing was a bit awkward to say the least. The whole group remained casual and talkative about all things games related and made sure to include Rin in on the conversation, despite she wasn't really a gamer. Joey could hardly believe his ears when she mentioned that.

 

"How could you not be a gamer?" He blinks at her, confused.

 

"Now, Joseph... games aren't for everyone. I'm sure there are other things she enjoys." Grandpa interrupted, cutting his eyes at Joey in silent warning.

 

"Um... well, I enjoy studying... a-and reading..." Rin mumbled, more to herself.

 

"Eh..." Joey grumbled. "Studying? C'mon! There's more to life than school!" All of asudden there was a loud stomp and a yelp. "Ouch!" Joey whined. "What was that for, Gramps?"

 

Yugi cringed at the sound and scratched his head, before looking at Rin, who seemed innocent and very confused about what happened. He was desperate to change the subject before she reverted back to the shy, socially awkward basket case she usually was.

 

"So, Rin," Yugi looked at her and smiled. "How are your other classes going?"

 

"Really well." She smiled genuinely, for the first time since agreeing to hang out with them. "I have a History report due next week on Ancient Egypt."

 

"Really?" Yugi immediately perked up. "You know, Grandpa is a retired Archeologist. He's been to Egypt before... I bet he could help you with that if you wanted."

 

"What? Really?" Rin blinked at Yugi, before looking up at Grandpa, who simply nodded at her. "That would be really awesome! As interesting as Egypt is, I'm not a History buff, so I could really use the help!"

 

"Of course, Rin." Grandpa nodded. "We can start on it tomorrow evening if you like? You can join us for dinner, and afterwards I'll help with your paper. It will be more convenient for us all since tomorrow's Saturday."

 

"Sure." Rin agreed, smiling. "I'd love that." She blinks as she glances at her watch. "I should get going... but I'll be back tomorrow afternoon."

 

"Excellent. We'll be here." Grandpa said, nodding once more.

 

The group watched as Rin left and Yugi couldn't help the smile that spread across his face. She actually made some progress in the little bit of time she spent with them. Maybe she would open up more later on and really become their friend. He would like that...

 

((Baby steps...)) Yugi thought, sighing in relief. ((It all starts with baby steps.))

 

The next day rolled around. It took a pep talk or two (or ten), but Rin was able to make herself show up at the Game Shop, school bag in hand and ready to work on her History paper with Grandpa's help. The bell sounded her entrance as she stepped inside the shop.

 

"Good afternoon, Rin." Grandpa greeted her with a smile, as had seemingly become normal by now. "How are you doing today?"

 

"I'm fine, thank you." She smiled back, adjusting her school bag. "And yourself?"

 

"I'm very well, thanks. Yugi is upstairs, if you want to head on up. I'll be there shortly and then we can have dinner and work on that report." the elderly man suggested as he straightened up the counter.

 

"Sure." Rin nodded, a pale pink tinge dusting her cheeks before shyly making her way upstairs.

 

Grandpa watched as she disappeared up the staircase that led to their den. He smiled as it all became way too obvious. The girl was harboring feelings for his grandson. Not that it surprised him. His Yugi did take after him after all! Good looking, a charming personality, and a huge heart of gold. Grandpa chuckled at the thought as he finished up and shut down the shop early.

 

Rin looked around as she got to the top of the stairs. It was nice and simple. There were plenty of pictures of Grandpa and Yugi, along with a few of another couple, who she assumed were his parents. There were even a few artifacts on display, no doubt from Grandpa's trips around the world. She liked it a lot more than the rather extravagant house she lived in.

 

"Oh, hey Rin," came that familiar voice that both made her smile and blush vibrantly. "I didn't know you were here already."

 

"Oh... um... yeah, I just got here actually." Rin said shyly as she slowly turned to the boy. "Grandpa... I-I mean... Mr. Muto told me to come on up while he finished down in the shop."

 

"Relax, Rin." Yugi beamed at her, making her heart skip a beat. "You can call him Grandpa, too. Most of my friends do."

 

Rin couldn't help but smile. He had called her his friend. It was a start!

 

"So," Yugi began as he led her to the kitchen table. "Do you think you may ever want to take up games? Maybe as a hobby?"

 

"A hobby?" Rin sat down in one of the chairs positioned at the table. "I don't know. Maybe. I've never actually thought about it."

 

"My favorite is Duel Monsters." Yugi went on to explain the many points of his favorite game.

 

"Wow." Rin giggled to herself. "It sounds complicated."

 

"Not really." Yugi grinned. "Not when you get the hang of it."

 

"And my Yugi is the best," said Grandpa as he approached the table and ruffled his grandson's hair. "I taught him everything he knows about it."

 

Rin smiles at the two. They obviously had a great relationship. She envied them something terrible. Her own parents were never around. They were always away on business, or vacation. If they ever were home, they never spent anytime with their daughter... it made her feel like she was nothing but a burden to them...

 

"Rin?" Yugi's voice broke through her negative train of thought. "Are you okay? You look upset..." 

 

His tone was concerned and his expression was sincere. It made her smile.

 

"I'm fine, thank you." She quickly forced herself out of her mopey state of mind. "So what's for dinner?"

 

"I was thinking of ordering pizza." replied Grandpa thoughtfully. "What do you think, kids?"

 

"Pizza sounds great!" Rin was the first to speak up.

 

The truth was she never got to eat it very often. It wasn't part of her parents lifestyle, so it was frowned upon and often ended in her being punished.

 

Just as Yugi was going to suggest something else, Rin's words stopped him. She seemed ecstatic with the idea. Even though he wasn't really in the mood for pizza, he would deal with it.

 

"What about you, Yugi?" asked Grandpa, looking at his grandson expectantly.

 

"Sure, Grandpa." He smiled. "Pizza's fine."

 

That being said, Grandpa made the call for delivery. It wasn't long before the three were feasting on their dinner and talking casually amongst themselves. Upon finishing eating, Grandpa decided it was time to hit the books and get Rin's report done. He kept his word. He told her stories, he helped her write it, and double checked it before giving it his seal of approval.

 

"Take a look at this, Rin." Yugi began as he stared down at the artifact he wore around his neck. "Grandpa picked this up for me on one of his trips to Egypt."

 

"I sure did." Grandpa nodded. "I had a feeling it was meant to be his."

 

"Wow..." Rin's emerald eyes widened in awe. "Could I... see it?"

 

"Oh.." Yugi carefully takes it off and hands it to her. "Sure... for a moment."

 

Rin takes it and stares, admiring the way it glinted and shone in the light. Her fingers delicately stroked the smooth gold. As she traced the eye, a warm sensation began spreading through her fingertips. Her eyes widened even more than before as glimpses of what appeared to be Ancient Egypt flashed in her mind. A great palace, a young commoner woman, and what seemed to resemble a mighty Pharaoh bathed in shadows. She felt like she had been there before... like she knew them and that place. Just like that, Rin felt even more drawn to Yugi, and now this ancient artifact. The girl couldn't explain it... she didn't understand why this was happening, but deep down, she knew that there had to be more to the images she saw. The object she held seemed to radiate a welcoming aura of comforting warmth. It soothed her and made her feel at ease. She felt the undeniable urge to hunt for answers, to find out why she felt this way, but how on earth could she even begin to do that?

 

"Rin?" Yugi's voice snapped her out of her thoughts. "Are you okay?"

 

"Oh." She smiled at him before looking back down at the artifact in her hands. "Yeah. I'm fine. I just can't believe I'm holding such an amazing piece of Egyptian history."

 

"Yeah." He smiled back before gingerly taking it and returning it to its rightful place around his neck. "It's pretty great, isn't it?"

 

"It is." Rin nodded. "It truly is..."

 

Before she knew it, it was time for her to head back to her large and empty house. As she walks away from the Game Shop, she pauses and turns back to look at the small building one more time. She had managed to actually have fun and become friends with the one that she had a major crush on. The thought made her smile. It was a good start! Then there was what happened with that artifact. All those images she saw. It intensified her feelings, if that was even possible. She was sure she would figure it out later, but for now, she chose not to dwell on it. With that thought, she continued on her way.

 

"I think this is the beginning of a beautiful friendship." Yami told his host, his signature smile playing across his lips as they watched the girl leave from their bedroom window.

 

"I think so, too, Yami." Yugi smiled back at the Spirit. "Baby steps," he reminded himself outloud. "It all starts with baby steps..."


End file.
